The Dickinson press., 1887-08-27
THE GINGERBREAD FAIR.
INTERESTING SIGHTS TO BE SEEN
AT THE FRENCH CAPITAL.
One of Paris Popular Shows-An I'm
mcnse bohemian Camp Exhibitions
of All Sorts-JuSglcrs, Wrestlcrs and
Other Per1ormcrs-Other Fairs.

of All Sorts-.JuSglcrs, Wrestlcrs and
Other Pcrformcrs-Other Fairs.
Easter in Paris is not only u day when
grand religious services are held, when horse
racing takes place in the Bois de Boulogne,
anu when orr English friends in thousands
cross the channel on a two days visit to the
capital, but it is also the day when the Gin
Gerhred fair opens i'll the Place tlu Trone, or
Place de In Nation, us it is now officially
called. a curious part of Paris is this great
circular square, reached from the Place tlc la
Eastllc by the Hue du Faubourg St. Antoine,
street apparently given up to the furniture
trade, hut which for centuries has been the
thoroughfare through which every revolu-
ton has made its entrance into Paris.
Very soon after turn into the Faubourg
st. Antoine the crowd becomes so great that
the cabnan is forced to walk his horse. The
crowd Is largely composed of workmcn, who,
accompanied by their entrc families, ure on
/ lnelr way to seek amusement at the fair.
PRESENTLY the air is filed with smell of fry
ing, which comes from dozens of pancake
bakers, who have set up their stands on both
sides Of the way. I':l,n como sellers of old
clothes, old iron, rubbish of all sorts, their
/ wares piled up OIL the sidewalks, lottery
/ ts"lnes and open air shooting galleries, and
presently find myself in the center of tho
4 i'i;'cA de Ia Nation, which has been converted
INTO an immense bohemian camp. There arc
tents Of all sizes and shapes, exhibitions of
human and animal moistrosities, oouariunS,
"aNw"HN shows, anatomical and pathological
museums panoramas and photograph gal
lerieS, where You may have your likeness
\ taken for five cents.
! The dramatic profession is very brilliantly
] VI. .l IL,
Than half dozen theatres, whcre a little of
everything in the show line is given all
THROUGH the day and evening-comeiies,
nc!'F'lamas, vaudeyilies, comic operas, oper-
e't:ss. | read on the bills the title of such
! WORKS as the "Chii,cs of Normandy" Lies
-Nore> de Je;tiinette' and La File de Nine.
Ah%"', AMI the Cocheric theatre, which is
h2ilie.i s'y electricity, announces u spec,ucu-
iar ballet entitled ",Iio Fairy of the Golden
( Apples" Tho artists are i'll many cases men
ana women who have failed at minor thea
'leS oi the capital or in the provinces, but il
not Elircqu"nt!y occurs that those who begin
lhelr PROFESSIONAL career on the boards of ono
/ oi thes" theatres forains become celebrated
Next door to Cochcrics is Corvis' exhibition
os tfaiiI'' dogs, monkeys and ponies-by no
means a bad show-and alongside of his tent
Is one where find some "Chinese shadows. u
showing Gen. Boulanger reviewing the troops
/ at L"n%rhampS and other scenes of military
life quite as ingenious and amusing as SINH
lar performance | saw the other night at tho
/ Chat Noir. There ure several tents in which
| wrestling matches are taking place, and this
| ycnr Malseilcs has a formidable rival in this
line in the person of Bertrand, who announces
I himself us the "most celebrated toreador Of
Spain"
AS usual, wild beast tanners are numerous.
Here is Bidel, cured from tho injuries re-
ceived last year from the teeth and claws of
his lion Sultan, at the Montmatre fair, and
/ exhibiting not only his own power over wild
beasts, but also that of his pupils-Alexano
and Mile. Victoria. Bidel is certainly tho
lion tanner par excellence, for he masters his
beasts as much by the magnetic power of
his eye as by the fear that is inspired by
his heavy whip. His principal rival, Pegon,
Is also here. He is u trainer rather than a
tanner, and it is astonishing the number of
things lie has taught his lions to tlo. Noulna
Hawas performance is perhaps the most
pleasant to look at, for size is n pretty and
slape!y woman, and her fierce pets really
| Seem to have Il warm affection for their mis-
trcss.
k There are several "Rellcs Fatmasn at the
Gingerbread fair, all of them "tlle only true
ono" aud OF course there are no end of merry
| go orounlS, wooden horses, miniature railroads,
| sniiles of all kinds, including tho traditional
rabbit game The plant for this means of
drawing the pennies from a crowd consists of
| live rabbit, table, n peg and q ball hung
/, by a string from two uprights The rabbit
i the prize, and to win it all that is necessary
to do is to knock over the peg with the bali,
something that looks very easy and which
You never fail to do when you accept the
owners offer to try it "for nothing, lust to
| get your hand in"
Of course you have to pay to get into the
theatres, Wild beast shows, wrestling matches
and other principal exhibitions of the fair,
but there arc also n great many jugglcrs,
| c"ni;ireis and other performers who have no
tents and who are obliged to trust to tho gen
er"sity of the crowd Here is u fellow in
tights and sl'ansles who proposes to give un
acro'mtc performance. A group soon forms
ring around his strip Of carpet and he pro-
''.edst to stand a half dozen chairs ono on ton
| Of the Other, Then he passes round plate
and announces that he will begin as soon as it
contains franc. This sum raised, he clam
'crs to the top Of the pile, and after one or
two simple cp:tortions offers to stand on his
heal if the crowd will contribute five more
sons Near by is strong man juggling with
!!olleaT cannon balls and fictitious 100 pound
weights on his brawny shoulders. "rhree
more sous, gentlemen and ladies, and I'll add
go more Iilos to the pile" is the offer hear
linn make ai turn aside to look at an amaz-
| iAS!H thin woman in pink cotton tights, who
| ,s heating drum, while in front of her an in
'lcecliahie crcature-a veritable living skele-
| tons turning sonlersaults.
A. for the gingerbread from which tho fair
| tset' lis man, there is no lack Of booths and
stands ft which you can buy what goes by
that name i'll this country, but if you will be
advised by one who has been there you will
do nothing of the kind. You can get it in
any shape you want-in squares, ovals
rounds and cubes, or You can find it made up
in artistic" designs, one of the novelties this
Year being q model Of the Eifrel tower, and
another a caricaturc of Gen. Boulau.er.
some Of the pain depice is very dear, bat
there are stands where it is sold as low as two
cents pound. am afraid you will think it
dear even at that price when tell you That
it is made out of stale bread, rcbaked until it
is brown and then ground up, mixed with
molasses and nodded into the desired shapes.
great many fairs are held in Paris and
is environs between April and the end of
October, but none of them are as popular
with the masses Us this Faire aux Paris
d i.pice, which, with the Ham fair and Old
Iron fair that Immediately precede it, opens
the annual series of fetes popuaires Origin
ally these We're i'll France, as they are still in
certain parts of Russia, periodical gatherings
Of merchants for purposes of trade Their
origin is doubtless as old as commerce itself.
but as far as France is concerned, they wcro
first established in G29, when King Dagobcrt
ordered an annual fair to be held at st. Denis.
This fair is still held every fall, and it is there
the first roast chestnuts of the season make
their appearance.-Henry Haynie in San
Francisco Chronicle.
That Bad Umpire.
Omaha Man-You fellows have lost an.
otiic! game, see.
Omaha Basebalist-Ycs. but it was all on
account of unfavnrabe decisions by tho um.
pire